


Sorcerer's Gala

by GemmaRose



Series: Voltron Mer AU [3]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Crush at First Sight, F/F, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, First Meetings, Magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-01
Updated: 2018-04-01
Packaged: 2019-04-16 16:26:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14168886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GemmaRose/pseuds/GemmaRose
Summary: Katie just wants to go to the gala with her dad and her brother. But hey, if they won't take her, she can always figure out how to get in on her own. Sneaking into the castle can't bethathard.Written for thePidge Birthday Exchangeon tumblr.





	Sorcerer's Gala

“You _have_ to take me with you.” Katie begged, clasping her hands together. “Please please _please_.”

“Dad said no, didn’t he?” Matt grinned, and she whipped her tail forwards to smack his sharply.

“That’s irrelevant!”

“He said no.” Shiro confirmed, and Katie whirled on him to pout.

“Traitor.”

“You’ll be of age for apprenticeship in two years, Katie.” Matt ruffled their hair. “You can attend sorcerer’s gala then.”

“If you don’t want to stay home, we could go somewhere.” Shiro suggested. “My apprentice isn’t much older than you, I think you’d get along well.”

“Ugh, pass.” Katie groaned, slumping and crossing her arms. Muscleheads were just about the opposite of her prefered crowd, Shiro being an exception by virtue of being her brother’s mate. Also, he was kinda smart, she guessed. He must be, to have caught and kept her brother’s interest.

“Well, I’m leaving, so if you’re not staying with Taka you should head home.” Matt tugged gently on their dorsal fin. “Don’t want Mom to worry.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m going.” she huffed, twisting to shoot out the door with a flick of her tail while her brother said goodbye to his mate. Saps, the both of them. Mom wasn’t expecting her home until much later, though, and she was still all dolled up... A grin spread slowly across her face as she turned a corner, heading towards the castle as an angle Matt would never follow, headed as he was to the front gate. Last time Shiro and Matt came over for dinner, Shiro had been bemoaning the logistics of keeping track of the night’s temporary help as they brought in supplies for the party.

The side entrance was surprisingly easy to find, thanks to the line of plainly dressed mers hauling kitchen supplies to and through it. A quick glamour was all it took to disguise their nice skirt and collar as a serviceable work apron and company ID, and they swam backwards up the line looking for a place to insert themself. “Here, let me help.” they said, sliding in to grab the neglected corner of a heavy pallet.

“Thanks.” one of the other mers flashed them a smile, and they didn’t exchange another word until the gate.

“IDs.” the guard said, and Katie twisted so theirs was visible. “Alright, you’re goo- wait.” the guard’s eyes narrowed at them. “Are you glamoured?”

“Uhh...”

“Lay off, Ives.” one of the other workers scoffed. “Don’t tell me you’re not all gussied up for palace guard duty.”

“Alright, alright.” the guard waved a hand dismissively. “You’re clear.”

“Thank you.” Katie smiled, and helped drag the pallet into the castle proper. “I gotta pee real quick.” she said when they passed a bathroom, and the other workers waved her off. The glamour dissolved with a quick hand sign, and she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Maybe she _should_ use magic to alter her appearance. Not much, but a palette swap and some tweaks to her facial structure would disguise her identity rather well. She dragged her finger over the mirror, inscribing a runic circle, and when it was done uttered the spell.

A wave of light swept over her, rippling from the crown of her head down to the tip of her tail fin, and when it faded a stranger with dark hair, tan skin, and pale green scales was looking back at her. Thankfully grey and blue went just as well with green as with her natural pearly purple, so she didn’t have to worry about changing her clothes. Rubbing out the circle on the mirror, she twisted her braid up into a bun and swam back out into the hallway, weaving around the workers and towards where she was pretty sure the main room of the gala was located.

Ten minutes later, she was about ready to tear out her hair in frustration. These halls made no sense! She could hear the music coming from the ballroom, but trying to follow it had lead her to a set of hallways empty of any kind of worker or guest. “Who designed this place?” she grumbled, and someone giggled behind her. She yelped, fins instinctively flaring as she whirled to face whoever had snuck up on her.

And promptly falling limp against her tail because _wow_.

“Are you lost?” the mermaid before her asked, smiling sweetly. Her hair was pure white, delicate braids woven into a crown atop her head, decorated with beads of turquoise and abalone and pearl. Her skin was a rich, smooth brown that made her coral chestpiece seem even more vibrant, the intricate pinks and purples strung between shimmering scales of abalone reflecting the iridescent colours of her tail.

Katie opened her mouth to reply, but no sound came out. The beautiful stranger giggled, and held out a hand. “Come, you mustn’t wander far, apprentice.”

“Uh, yeah.” Katie accepted the offered hand, and let the older mermaid guide her through the halls. “Thank you.”

“What are you called?” she asked conversationally.

Katie opened their mouth, then shut it again, looking aside. They obviously couldn’t give their real name, but they hadn’t thought about a fake name. “Pidge.” they blurted when the stupidly pretty mermaid looked over her shoulder at them. “I’m called Pidge.”

“Unusual name.” she mused, then flashed Katie a warm smile. “Mine is Allura.”

Katie’s brain fairly stalled at that. Allura, _Princess_ Allura, the future queen. She was being towed by the hand, by the mermaid who would rule when her father stepped down. “I’m so sorry, Your Highness!” she blurted, pulling her hand free to bow properly. Princess Allura giggled, a sound more beautiful than words could describe, and gestured with her hand for Katie to straighten up.

“Rise, Pidge. No need for such formalities.”

She rose from her bow, but kept her eyes down respectfully. Or, well, mostly out of respect. She also had the feeling that another direct look at Princess Allura would be enough to devolve her into a nonverbal mess.

“The gala is this way.” she turned, and Katie followed silently. The inside of her mouth felt tacky, and the water felt cool on her burning face. “So, what magic are you focusing your studies on?” Princess Allura asked, and Katie nearly swallowed her tongue.

“Uh, I’m not sure yet.” she stalled, trying desperately to remember. “Alchemy, I think?”

“You think?” Allura smiled over her shoulder, and Katie silently thanked the Deep Ones there was nothing in this hall for her to swim into. “Still figuring it out?”

“Um, yeah. Yeah, kinda.” Katie looked away, pressing a hand to her cheek. Princess Allura was smiling at her, teasing her, this could not be real. But it was, it definitely was, and she had to carry this conversation or the princess would think she was a weirdo. She wouldn’t be wrong to think it, but Katie would still rather she not. “I like machines.” she blurted as the silence neared awkwardness. “Like, fixing them. Making them work, making them better. Magic helps.”

“You invent.” Allura smiled again, and Katie strangled a whine in her throat. “Worthy use of your skills. Have you invented anything yet?”

“Nothing much.” Katie demurred automatically. “My most complicated creation so far just cleans floors for Mom.”

“Well, I’m sure your mother appreciates that.”

“She does. It does my chores better than I ever did.”

Allura laughed again, and Katie found herself smiling involuntarily. “You are interesting, Pidge.” the princess said as they approached what could only be the main room of the gala. “Perhaps, when you are of age to be an apprentice, I will take you on myself.”

“What?” Katie stopped dead in the water, eyes widening.

“All sorcerers and apprentices have matching bracelets they wear tonight.” Princess Allura grinned. “I won’t tell anyone you snuck in, but it would be best to leave before you are caught.” she winked, and Katie could only gape at her.

“Why?” she managed eventually, and Princess Allura drifted closer with a flick of her elegant tail.

“Because I see potential in you, Pidge.” she said softly, lifting Katie’s chin with her fingertips until their eyes met. “Potential for true greatness, which I would very much like to see realized.” she smiled, and leaned in to press a gentle kiss to Katie’s forehead. “Go, train your magic. I will see you with next year’s apprentices.”

“Year after next, actually.” Katie looked down, sure she was blushing furiously.

“Then I will wait until that day to take an apprentice.” Allura patted her on the cheek. “Go now, Pidge. May Old Ones bless your wake.”

“And yours.” Katie bowed, and followed Princess Allura’s gesture down the hall towards the front gates. She made it all the way out onto the streets before the giddiness overwhelmed her, and she sank to the ground with an elated giggle. She’d met Allura, _Princess Allura_. Not only that, but the princess liked her! And wanted to train her as a sorcerer! She shot up from the ground with a high squeal, hands clasped tight to her chest. Her day of apprenticeship couldn’t come fast enough!


End file.
